Gas and liquid separator



Nov. 5, 1929. L. L. wEsTLlNG Er AL GAS AND LIQUID SEPARATOR Filed 001;, 23. 1928 IN V EN TOR. Lester L. Wasi/1'@ M' Hic/K man Hard ATT NEYS.

Patented Nov.v 5, 1929 UNITED STATES `PATENT OFFICE] LESTER I.. wEsTLING AND MILLARD n. mcmnAN, or' OAKLAND, oALmonNIA GAs AND LIQUID sErAnA'ron Application vled October 23, 1928. Serial No. 314,348.

This invention relates to apparatus for separating lighter particles of matter, such as gases, from liquids in which it is entrained, particularly entrained air from water, preparatory to the use of the water in boilers or for purposes generally where air mixed with the water would be objectionable.

bolted The present application takes place of our abandoned application filed June 30, 1924, under Serial No. 723,159, and shows certain improvements in addition to the fundamentals of the device of said application. Briefly described the apparatus comprises a vertically arranged relatively long cylinder provided with means for admitting the liquid which it is desired to treat, at the bottom of the cylinder, and for taking the separated ga's off at the upper end of the cylinder, while within the cylinder are arrangements to cause a rapid spinning of the column of liquid so as to orm a vortex along its axis along which vortex the gas or air escapes, and means for withdrawing the liquid from periphery ofthe cylinder.

The objects ofthe present invention are to etl'ect improvements whereby the spinning or swirling motion will be imparted to the liquid column in a manner to form a central and steady vortex, and also to providea watery discharge operating in a manner to avoid objectionable influence on the vortex, or the inclusion of any of its gas in the liquid withdrawn for use.

Other objects are constructional features promoting ease of assembly, cleaning and re airs.

n the drawing accompanying this application Fig. 1 is a central vertical section through our apparatus, Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective view with portion broken away showing the lower throat piece. Flg. 1s an enlarged perspective view of the multi-vane inlet collar or device which positions at the lower end-of the cylinder under the device of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a cross section of Fig. l as seen from the line 4 4 thereof.`

, In further detail the construction includes a main cylinder 1 flanged at opposite ends and at the lower end to a circular bowl 2 provided with a side inlet pipe 3 adapted to the upper secure to a pipe4 for supplying liquid to the separator under pressure, and under the bowl are ribs 5 forming al flat to stand upon.

Within the bowl is positioned a circular thimble or throat piece 6 of an internal diameter at the top to coincide with the internal diameter of the cylinder 1 and taperin smaller downwardly so as to form a thick 'wa l at its lower end at 6.

YThis 'device is positioned with its up er rim vunder the inner edge of cylinder 1 and is base for the cylinder firmly clamped down thereby against a spe- I cially vaned inlet collar 7.

Inlet collar 7 comprises a short section of a metal cylinder, such as a piece of well casing, slit down its sides at a plurality of places and the metalears thus formed bent inwardly and curved as at 7 form a series of vertically disposed curved vanes between which the liquld may pass from the bowl to the interior of the cylinder.

These vanes are so formed that their inlet edges are parallel to the cylindrical wall of the chamber 1 and their outlet edges at an angle to the radius whereby to produce a torque upon the column of liquid 1n the cylinder.

Secured to the upper end of the cylinder is a bonnet 8 domed within and provided with a central outlet 9, while below the dome the bonnet is enlarged into the form of an annular chamber 10 and below the chamber it is flanged and bolted to cylinder 1.

T e bonnet is fitted within with a short tubular section 11 of the same internal diameter of the cylinder clamped between a shoulder formed at 12 within the bonnet andthe upper end of the cylinder.

Tubular section 11 is preferably made of a section of well casing or the like and is perforated around its upper portion with several rows of relatively small holes, 13 leading to the upper part of chamber 10, and fromy one side of the lower portion of chamber 10 extends an outlet connection 15 flanged or otherwise adapted for securing to an outlet pipe 16 as indicated.

vIn use the liquid 17 with entrained gases in the form of inebubbles, is forced underv in Figs. 2 and 3 so as to i collar 7 pOwing to the arrangement of spiralling inlet ports formed by the vanes 7 around the entire circumference ofthe liquid column above, the force is applied evenly all around the column of liquid with a result that the vortexis centralized and is free from the objectionable tendency vto with prior construction and which aected the purityfof the liquid-withdrawn after sepayvanes upon the ration.

The throat 6 positioned above the peripheral vanes'7 insures a maximum effectv of the liquid before dissipation of the force of the liquid upwards, and has an important effect in preventing'turbulence of the column and consequent disruption of the vortex. `The arrangement of small holes 13 around the entire inner circumference of sleeve 11 insures a perfectly even outward iow of separated liquid from the columnwithout disturbing the vortex, iprobably dueto the breaking up of the out ow into small units 4under precisely similar conditions entirely around the gas vortex. v l

It may be remarked here that this device has been found to separate gases from liquids when there is scarcely any velocity to the liquid inpassing through the device, as a separation will still take place-by flotation due to the design of the separating chamber. We realize that many forms of centrifugal separators for handling all kinds of material have been made but we believe the features above described to be original with us and therefore,

We claim:

1. A separator of the character. described comprising Van. upright cylinder provided with a plurality of spirally arranged inlets spaced around its lower end, an annular chamber connecting said spiral inlets provided with a sup ly inlet, said vcylinder provided with a gas discharge port at the top of the cylinder and a plurality of outlet ports formed around the inner circumference of the cylinder below said discharge port.

- 2. A separator of the character described dce comprising an upright cylinder provided with a plurality of spirally arranged inlets spaced around its lower end,' an annular chamber connecting said spiral inlets and provided with a supply inlet, said cylinder provided with separate ports at the top of the cylinder `arranged respectively for the discharge of whip encountered Y ranged. and

and y and adapted gas and liquid, and a cylindrical throat piece positioned at the lower part of the cylinder on top of said spirally arranged inlets.

3. In a structure as specied in claim 1, a chamber formed around the said outlet ports open thereto and extending substantially below said outlet ports.

4. A separator of comprising a cylinder,I a bonnet on one end of said cylinder, a bonnet of a diameter to continue the bore of the cylinder, said bonnet being annularly chambered outside of said sleeve and the sleeve apertured to said chamber, a gas outlet at the end of the bonnet, an outlet from the chamber, an inlet to the opposite end of the cylinder, and means adjacent said inlet arranged and adapted for imparting a twirling motion to a liquid forced through said inlet. A 5. A separatori of the character described comprising a cylinder,'a bonnet'on one end of said cylinder, a tubular sleeve in said bonnet of a diameter to continue the bore of the cylinder, saidbonnet being annularly chambered outside of said sleeve and the sleeve apertured to said chamber, a gas outlet' at` the end of the bonnet, an outlet from the chamber, an inlet to the opposite endof the cylinder, ranged and adapted for imparting a twirling motion to a liquid forced through said in-V let comprising a ranged vanes positioned within and around the end ofthe cylinder.

v6. A separator of the character described' comprising a cylinder, a bonnet on one end of said cylinder, a tubular sleeve in said bon'- net of a diameter to continue the bore of the cylinder, said bonnet being annularly chambered outside of said sleeve'and theV sleeve apertured to said chamber, a gas outlet at` the end of the bonnet, an outlet from the chamber, an inlet to the opposite end of the cylinder, and means adjacent said inlet aradapted for imparting a twirling motion to a liquid forced through' said inlet comprisinga plurality of spirally-arranged vanes positioned within and around the end of the cylinder and an internally tapered throat piece overlying said vanes.

7 A gas-liquid separator .of described, comprisings an upright cylinder provided with a supp y inlet at its lower end and a gas discharge at its upper end, means ,within the lower end of the cylinder arran ed for` causing a twirling o a column of liquid forced through the cylinder, an annular chamber around the upper end of the cylinder provided with an outletport at the lower portion of said chamber and lurality of ports around the inner circumerence of the cylinder opening to the upper portion of said chamber only.

8. A gas-liquid separator' of the character.

tubular sleeve in saidA and means adjacent said inlet ar A the charapter described plurality of spirally arthe character described, comprisin an upri ht cylinder provided with a supp y inlet at its lower end and a gas discharge at its up r end, means within the lower end of the cylmder arran ed and adapted for causing a twirling o? a column of liquid forced through the cylinder an annular chamber around the upper en of the cylinder provided with an out et port at the lower portion of said chamber and a lurality of ports around the inner circumlerence of the cylinder opening to the upper portion of said chamber only a row of said ports being positioned to open adjacent the vupper wall o said chamber.

9. In a structure Aas specified in claim 7, the portion of the'cylinder extending through said chamber formed of a. tubular section fitting within .a bore in said chamber.

LESTER L.- WESTLING.

- MILLARD R. HICKMAN. 

